Easy Basic Pizza Dough

This versatile recipe is great for pizza, pepperoni rolls or breadsticks for dipping.

Ingredients:
2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
3/4 teaspoons brown sugar
1 1/2 cups very warm water (110˚F)
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

Directions:
Add warm water, then yeast and brown sugar to large bowl. Let sit for 10 - 12 minutes.

Add salt and oil to the bowl, then slowly mix in 2 1/2 cups of flour while stirring constantly with a fork.

Empty dough onto a well-floured surface and knead in more flour until it no longer sticks to your hands.
Shape dough into a ball and add to a clean bowl sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Cover bowl with a towel and let sit for approximately one hour in a warm place.

While the dough is rising, preheat the oven to 425˚.

Once the dough has doubled in size, punch it down with your first and reshape into a ball.

After a couple minutes, roll the dough out on a clean, well-floured surface, Place rolled out dough on a pizza pan or stone and brush edges with olive oil.

Top dough with your favorite pizza toppings and bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until cheese and crust are a nice golden brown.